


The return of the king and his knights

by harrietrose



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:07:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24589561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harrietrose/pseuds/harrietrose
Summary: “Wait, what`s –“He never got to finish the sentence before the lake started bubbling. Merlin swiftly turned around – it looked as if it was boiling.Modern AU. The knights of the round table return, making Merlin very happy, yet still missing a certain blond prat. Fic about the return of the knights and how they settle into the 21st century, shenanigans, magic reveal - basically everything you could want in a fic!
Relationships: Gwaine & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 82





	1. 1. The adventurer

Gwaine was the first to return. Merlin had gone for his daily walk to the lake, not expecting much anymore. Still, he kept going, if only for the comfort the routine offered. He had drunk his tea, listened to the buzzing of the insects, when the lake had started bubbling. He could hardly believe his eyes. Soon a brown mop of hair, followed by a red cape had emerged from the water. Of course, he`d gotten his hopes up when the lake sizzled, searching eagerly for signs of a certain blond prince. Though somewhat disappointed, he was still so, so happy to see anyone that reminded him in the slightest of home. He ran towards the knight, embracing him, grinning into his shoulder. Had he been any less happy, he`d notice how tight Gwaine was holding him, and the tears rolling onto his shoulder, though the knight would deny any mention of them later. 

After a long while, they started drifting towards home, while Merlin tried explaining as much as he could as they walked by. Luckily not a lot of people were out, but the few people who were glanced curiously at the loud, pretty knight. Avoiding all the heaviest bits of history, Merlin talked about the greatest events, explaining the concept of electronics (he`d never seen Gwaine as happy as he did when he mentioned dating apps, though he doubted he fully understood the concept), of apartments and modern-day farming as they walked homewards. 

After carefully packing away the armour (but still using the cape as a blanket), the knight changed into a dark green hoodie of Merlin`s. Two mugs of tea, and more at the ready, Gwaine gently started asking about the topics Merlin carefully had avoided until then. Well, about as gentle as Gwaine could be. 

“I died, didn`t I?”

“Yes.” Merlin couldn`t bring himself to expand – he`d carefully packed away the sensation of drowning, and the bottomless sorrow as soon as Percival had told him, but not without mirroring the other man`s expression of shock and grief first. 

“The witch – Morgana?”

Again, Merlin confirmed. “She…” His voice drifted off. Despite having the knight in front of him, very much alive, the hate that radiated from Morgana still haunted him. 

“You and Percival tried to attack her. It was a suicide mission. You died, just when Percival found you.” Gwaine couldn`t help but notice how Merlin shrunk into himself, just a little, all while avoiding his gaze. 

“I`m sorry.” 

Merlin carefully looked at him; the seriousness of the conversation reminded him of how seldom they had been serious together. Although it came easier than with many, it still felt new, raw. 

“I mean, you`re alive, it all worked out.” He tried shrugging it off, but didn’t seem altogether convinced. 

“I mean it. It was stupid. We certainly didn`t think it through. And I`d never leave voluntarily.” 

“Thank you.” He hadn`t quite realized how much he`d needed to hear it, he realized, just as tears were forming. “More tea?” Not waiting for a response, he hurriedly wiped his eyes with his sleeves, and went to the kitchen. 

Merlin returned, two cups in hand, to find Gwaine lost in thought.  
“Are you thinking? I don`t think I`ve ever seen that before,” he grinned. 

The knight threw a pillow after him, not caring about the hot liquids – he had hoped, and still hoped the boy wasn`t too changed. 

“So I`m the first to return?” 

Merlin nodded while carefully sipping his tea. 

“I can`t wait to scare the living hell out of Percival.” 

Merlin choked on his tea, laughing. 

Gwaine and Merlin quickly slipped into a comfortable routine; breakfast, job hunting for Gwaine, scouring the newspapers for apartments (being immortal had its economical perks, and they hoped they were right in looking for a huge apartment for all of the knights, as well as a certain prince), Merlin going off to work at the university while Gwaine tried sorting out history and how society (especially courting) worked.

“I`d have thought you`d be going into service of some kind,” Gwaine joked. 

“After the prat?” Merlin laughed, but he still seemed hesitant about the topic. “Believe me, the 1500-year break was much needed,” he grinned, and it nearly reached his eyes this time. “Anyhow, I lived through most of the history, so it`s easy to teach. And I like it,” he explained. 

Gwaine could understand that – Merlin was likeable, and when Merlin was excited about something it became interesting, no matter how dull the subject could be.  
After that, they`d walk to the lake, wait for about fifteen minutes, before heading back in comfortable, albeit somewhat disappointed silence. Gwaine did his best not to ask – Merlin became serious, more sorrowful as they approached Avalon – and that simply didn`t suit the boy clad in innocence and goodwill. Even so, he wondered. He knew Merlin had waited for a long time. Would there be a 1500 year gap between each of the returns? Would the others return? Even beginning thinking about the questions was enough to make him dizzy. 

When they returned, they`d curl up on the sofa, more often than not using Gwaines cape as a blanket – it seemed so familiar, and they both needed familiar just now – while watching some crappy reality TV. Merlin smiled fondly; Gwaine was bound to love it.

"What do you know about courting," Gwaine had asked one night after a particularly bad episode. Merlin eyed him dubiously. 

"I know you didn`t really court anyone back in Camelot," Gwaine said. "No offence," he added. 

"I was most attractive back then," Merlin argued playfully. "You should`ve seen the hoards coming after me," he grinned. 

"If that`s the case, I will most certainly not add to your ego," Gwaine chuckled.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "It`s quite different from Camelot."

"That much I`ve noticed."

"Honestly, treat the girl. Or boy," he added thoughtfully. "Treat them with respect, and you`ve covered the basics. You`ll want to start with small talk, and then ask them out for a coffee or something. Coffee`s a good place to start - not as much pressure as dinner, but still a good place to get to know them." 

Gwaine raised his eyebrows. "Quite the expert, I see." 

"You pick up on some things during the centuries." Eyebrows raised, mouth drawn into a smirk, Gwaine couldn`t help but throw another pillow at him. 

"You`d better. There`s a lot of knights who will have some questions once they`ve returned." 

"On courting." Merlin became the image of skepticism. 

Gwaine just laughed at him. 

Once more they settled comfortably into the sofa. Merlin figured he`d show him some rom-coms next; Gwaine ought to love that. He eyed his friend from the other side of the couch. It was good to have him back.


	2. The Giant

Somehow, Gwaines best efforts and most sincere wishes were answered; Percival was the next to return. He`d been confused, naturally, but he`d clung tightly to Merlin, not daring to face the other man just yet. When he`d finally let go, he stared, utterly dumbfounded as he turned between the two. “You`ve got to be kidding.” Merlin just laughed and shook his head. Percival ran forward to embrace him, nearly crushing him. “You`re so stupid. If you ever die on me again, I`ll bring you back myself to kill you,” he laughed through the sobs. Gwaine held him tighter, but laughed. “Of course your first words would be to threaten me. I`m always the ass.” 

Percival, still mostly dumbfounded, listened as Gwaine explained how he`d returned (though carefully smoothing over his death; he hadn`t really worked through that part himself yet), and Merlin explained the prophecy of the prince returning, and how that somehow also included the knights. 

Back home again, Percival got the biggest hoodie currently available (meaning not having been used by Gwaine. The concept of comfort paired with pockets was endlessly fascinating to him), received a mug of tea, and the men all settled on the sofa. 

“What happened to you? You know, after the king…” Percival trailed off. While Merlin shrugged, Gwaine perked up – he realized he knew little about what happened to Camelot just after he`d died. He waited a little, before impatience took hold. “After the king what?”

“You didn`t know?” Percival looked surprised. “It makes sense, I suppose.” He waited a little, a shadow passing his face as he relived the news of the king`s death being broken, the queen`s grief, Merlin`s disappearance, Gaius` sadness… 

“Mordred.” Merlin supplied. “He killed the king.” 

“He WHAT?” Gwaine was shouting now. “If he ever returns, I`m going to…,” but the half-amused, half-exasperated look Merlin sent him, quietened him down. 

“It was the battle of Camlann”, Percival continued. “Stabbed him.” 

“I…” Merlin seemed faraway. “I tried healing him. Didn`t work.” Gwaine, still seething, calmed a little at that. There was a pause, filled to the brim with emotions.

“I stayed in Camelot a while, helped Gaius out. It was a lot less busy now that…” Merlin couldn`t bring himself to finish. “But everything reminded me of him. I had no purpose. I went to Ealdor, stayed with my mother for a time. Then I returned to the lake, waited some years for him to return. When that didn`t happen either, I returned to Camelot, until Gaius…” 

Truthfully, Gaius` death had been close to hitting him the hardest. He was the first after the king, and though he was old, and it wasn`t completely unexpected, Merlin had felt as if he was losing his father all over again. 

“Until Gaius died. I think I just missed you,” he said with a nod to Percival – he`d returned to his family`s land a few years after the king`s death. “I couldn`t bear living through that again.” The knights nodded. That they could understand. 

“Are the others going to return?” Percival asked. 

“Well, we hope so,” Merlin responded. 

The men talked for a bit longer, until Gwaine suddenly declared his most pressing need. 

“What you lot need is a night in the tavern. I don`t think I`ve ever been this long without”

“What, 1500 years or three days?” Percival laughed, earning himself a playful punch in the arm. 

“Although I`d refrain from calling it a tavern,” Merlin smirked. 

“What do you lot call it?”

“A bar,” Merlin grinned. 

Percival eyed the bar. Eyebrows raised high, eyes squinting somewhat, he declared that he “liked the old taverns a lot better.” Gwaine shouted something gleefully over the very loud music, while eying a girl who`d been glancing towards him all night. 

... 

“When you said you tried to heal Arthur…” 

They`d all sat down for breakfast, Percival now included in their daily routines. Gwaine was carefully studying the newspaper, Merlin had been trying to solve the crossword, while Percival spent most mornings musing, stating that someone had to make up for the lack of Gwaine`s brain capacity.  
His statement now disrupted the calm, casual mood, he realized; though Gwaine perked up as he always did when any bit of information became available, Merlin tensed. 

“Well…” He could lie, or offer them a half-truth. Gaius had been teaching him after all; but no – he`d wanted to tell them. Anyhow, there was no king to behead him now. “I`m magic.” 

“I KNEW IT,” Gwaine shouted. “I had a bet with Leon,” he added. “It`s a long story.” 

“Are you any good at it?” Percival asked. He`d never been able to view magic as wholly evil, nor did he sympathise with Uther`s hate towards it. 

“Well…” He conjured a small flame in his hand, carefully instructing it to dance around, while his eyes gleamed in a similar golden colour. A soft smile spread on his face – it had been a long time since he`d done magic in front of people. 

“That`s amazing,” Percival whispered, awestruck. 

“I cannot wait for Leon to come back. I knew it,” Gwaine smirked. 

“How did you know?” Merlin asked, cocking his head.

“You weren`t exactly cautious. Branches dropping everywhere, only on the Saxons. The amount of times rocks happened to fall over. Skilled men dropping their weapons, tripping over themselves in battle. Of course, the time when Arthur went on a quest, and the Keeper of the Bridge called you magic. Don`t worry – I don`t think anyone else noticed.”

“We know for sure Leon didn`t,” Percival laughed. Merlin laughed along with them, mostly out of relief. 

“Why didn`t you tell me you knew?” he asked, after the laughter had quietened down.

“I wanted you to tell me. Anyhow, it was only a suspicion. A strong suspicion, but even so,” Gwaine shrugged. 

“Thank you. For letting me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you so much for reading! There`s lots more to come, and I`m genuinely excited to share this!


	3. The Blacksmith

A couple of weeks had passed since Percival`s arrival, though nothing had happened yet. Percival was easy-going, calm and stout, and Merlin found he enjoyed the comfortable silence that remained when Gwaine left to work at the bar. More often than not, they`d watch some animal documentaries – Percival loved them, and Merlin appreciated the break from reality TV, he really did. They all walked to the lake together, Gwaine as often as he had the evening off. He knew they probably could afford to not work, but he didn`t like relying on others and not giving back when he could. 

Percival, now going by Percy whenever they were outside, had also started looking for work, both for Gwaine`s reasons, as well as wanting something to do. He missed being a knight, and his friends, but mostly he missed having a reason, someone to help out. To everyone`s surprise, he found work at a library. 

“I didn`t even know you could read,” Gwaine joked.

“Just because you cannot,” Percival laughed. Gwaine looked offended at that (he could read, thank you very much). 

He enjoyed the peacefulness, the shelves overflowing with knowledge, the so very safe and soft ambience, and the little kids giggling shyly as they eyed the large man helping them find their books. He also enjoyed the resources – it felt far more comfortable reading about everything that had happened in books, and he still felt eery about computers. Unsurprisingly, he also started boxing – it was the closest he could come to the knights` workout in a small town, and he was pretty good already. Gwaine had joined him a few times, nearly enjoying it more than Percival had done, particularly on the days he nearly managed to beat the far larger man. 

This went on for another a month, and though they enjoyed each other`s company very much, they were all becoming restless. 

“Do you think we`re the only ones,” Gwaine asked one night. They all knew what he meant, of course. Although Merlin was grateful, truly grateful, to have some of his friends back, the grief and longing for the others never ceased. 

“I don`t know.” Percival was thoughtful, brows knitted together and a frown on his face.

“Let`s go to the lake?” It was a question and a statement, but they all put on jackets and shoes, and begun walking. It was nearly midnight, and quite chilly for September. 

“I`m glad I arrived in August,” Gwaine shivered. 

“I told you to bring a warmer jacket.” Merlin rolled his eyes fondly. 

The closer they came to the lake, the more sober they grew. They sat themselves down softly into the dewy, moonlit grass, and waited.  
Merlin was used to it – after all, he`d sat here more times than he cared to think for without nothing happening. He`d grown used to it – the waiting, the lack of events. In the beginning the silence had been excruciating. He`d wept, cried, screamed, cursed, and still, nothing had happened. There was only silence, and it seemed to taunt him, mock him. 

Sometimes he thought he could feel a presence of some sort, but as soon as he opened his eyes, it had disappeared. After that he kept his eyes closed, let the presence wash over him, hold and sooth him. He knew it was difficult for the others. Gwaine had only needed to wait a few days before Percival`s arrival, and he knew they were anxious to see the rest again. Percival was still somewhat confused as to what the process entailed, but was still nearly as restless as Gwaine. 

At one point, Gwaine fell asleep against Percival (the latter sent a fond look towards his sleeping friend, and an exasperated look towards Merlin, but let the knight stay where he was). It was completely still. The moon shone dimly, reflecting upon the glassy lake. A bird fluttered somewhere, somewhere below the trees. Everything was calm, softened by the dark. 

They waited for what seemed hours before slowly nodding off. The darkness around them shifted, lessened. More birds chirped happily against the rising sun. The softness increased as the sun greeted them. Merlin rubbed his eyes.

“We must`ve fallen asleep.” He blinked his eyes slowly, taking in the brightness. 

Percival yawned, while Gwaine muttered something, evidently still half-asleep. 

“Did anything happen?” 

“Not that I noticed,” Percival replied. 

“Not that a troll could wake you once you`re asleep,” Gwaine replied, to which Merlin sniggered. 

He looked around once more, checking that they hadn`t left anything behind, eyeing the lake once more, in case it suddenly changed its mind, and begun the walk ahead. 

He started as Gwaine gripped his sleeve. “Wait, what`s –“ 

He never got to finish the sentence before the lake started bubbling. Merlin swiftly turned around – Gwaine was right, it looked as if it was boiling. 

“Do you think?” Percival started. 

A black head and a chainmail emerged from the lake, sputtering, and coughing. 

“I was way more elegant than that,” Gwaine mumbled, earning himself a “you`re hopeless” from Percival.

“Elyan!” Merlin shouted, heedless of the freezing water, ran towards him and hugged him tightly. 

Percival had given it some thought. His return – though miraculous at least, was logically not the least expected return. He had lived long after Arthur, so he assumed Leon would return as well. As for Gwaine, he`d died quite close to Arthur, so it made sense for him to return too. Elyan and Lancelot had been killed long before; he`d been anxious to see whether they would return, or if the prophecy only included the knights who happened to die close in time to Arthur. However, seeing the knight return, all the tension melted off him, relief lit up his face, and completely forgetting his strength, he ran forwards and scooped Elyan into a hug. 

“You`re crushing me,” Elyan exclaimed, but laughing and grinning. 

Gwaine was slower to move forwards, but as soon as Percival let him go, he embraced him as well. 

“Good to have you back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured Percival had a soft spot for kids, and I can imagine him being pretty smart and bookish, despite being really quiet and strong, so there you go!


	4. Reunion

Once more, they merrily returned to the apartment, which was slowly getting more cramped. They`d invested in a bunker bed, which Percival and Gwaine now shared (the amount of times Gwaine had complained about “the monster under the bed” was ridiculous; Merlin died laughing every time). Merlin had his own room, leaving the couch free for grabs. They sat themselves down on said couch. Merlin buzzed around the kitchen, while the knights tried to fill each other in. 

“Hoodie and tea. It`s standard by now.” Merlin came in carrying a tray of tea, and a hoodie draped over his arm. 

“Hoodie? What`s a hoodie?” 

“Only the best invention ever. It has pockets, Elyan.” Gwaine was grinning from ear to ear. 

“It`s so good to see you again.” Elyan was all smiles too, and it suited him. 

They talked all night, about Guinevere`s reign, how Camelot had prospered, the aftermath of the knights, and of the other`s return. When they talked about Arthur, Merlin went quiet. He knew Elyan had questions about Arthur, and the prophecy, and there were a limited amount of times Merlin felt like reliving, well, everything. He knew he could trust the other`s to fill him in, so he stared at his mug, concentration covering his features, sipping determinedly at his lukewarm tea. 

“So Arthur and everyone else is going to return too?” 

“Well, Arthur, definitely.” Percival answered. “I assume the other knights as well; I mean, Leon and Lancelot at least.”

“But Guinevere? Gaius?” 

Percival and Gwaine shared a look. Gwaine, though not as committedly as Percival had given it some thought too. Although he hoped and assumed Leon and Lancelot`s return, and Arthur of course, there was no saying when. He knew Merlin had waited for centuries, and he didn`t like the thought of having to wait that long for anyone. Furthermore, there was no saying if their other friends would return – let alone if the prophecy extended to their enemies. Truth be told, there was very little to be known for sure. In the end, Merlin was the one to speak up. 

“I don`t know. I mean, I`d hope so, but…” 

Elyan knitted his brows. He looked like he wanted to be angry, but ended up looking tired instead. “But probably not,” he finished. 

“There`s no way of knowing. I`d love for them to come back, truly, but the prophecy doesn`t specify. Honestly, I was pretty surprised when Gwaine arrived at the lake,” Merlin explained.

“Not as surprised as I was,” Gwaine smiled softly. He carefully eyed Merlin. He didn`t seem too changed; how, he couldn`t fathom. Throughout the last month or so, everything he said and did, still felt like Merlin. Even so, there was something different about him. The centuries he`d lived through had definitely matured him, and he doubted they`d been kind to him. It was as if the edges of Merlin were more subdued, infused with sorrow, somehow. He seemed fragile, worn out when he thought no one was looking. Even so, the naïve, hopeful, childlike, kind part of Merlin, the very centre of him was still intact, which he was forever thankful for. He couldn`t bear for his friend to lose his innocence; it was the very thing that made him Merlin. Furthermore, the other`s return seemed to light up Merlin, inside out. It was like turning up a flame; he was becoming brighter, warmer, and Gwaine loved seeing that. 

He could see Merlin glancing back at him, lifting an eyebrow, a quiet “you alright?” Gwaine smiled softly; unknowingly his friend had confirmed his thoughts. He nodded, not needing to say anything else. 

Elyan slept on the couch, though Merlin promised he`d bring them to IKEA the next day for bed-shopping and mattress-testing. 

“Eye- kea?” Elyan asked. “What`s eyes got to do with it?”

Merlin laughed – in truth, he`d been longing to bring his friends there. “IKEA. It`s furniture. Couches, beds, desks and so on.”

Their reactions were better than expected. Gwaine became the image of a child – wide eyes, running around, confused at the maze, and running away (“walking quickly,” he`d interject. “You lot were slower than Elyan at getting dressed in the morning.”) at every opportunity. Percival obviously was on cart duty. 

“You are the strongest,” Merlin declared, and no one could argue with that. 

Elyan, still new to the 21st century kept close to Percival, but found the experience utterly enjoyable. 

“I swear we`re gonna have to pick Gwaine up at the lost and found soon,” Merlin said to Elyan, who laughed loudly. 

“We should have left him in the ball pit,” Percival agreed. “Then we wouldn`t have to fetch him every other minute.” 

“He`d love it,” Elyan said gleefully. 

“We should just forget him there,” Merlin declared. “See how long it takes for him to make it home.” 

“I heard that,” a voice from behind the next shelf declared, though it couldn`t hide the laugh behind it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so sorry for the delay! I have some other chapters written, so they`ll hopefully be up within the week! As an apology, I`ve posted two chapters at once <3


	5. Rescue

Elyan spent a good while reading just about everything. He knew he`d missed out on a lot, and seemed to struggle more with settling in than the two others had done. Merlin knew he missed Gwen. It was different for the others – they didn`t really have any other family to expect. After reading, he`d taken to jogging, often along the lake, or through any small road or wood or creak he could find. He enjoyed the peace and quiet, though he wouldn`t trade the noisiness of coming back for the world. Later he taught himself Greek (“I`d always wanted to know languages,” he`d explained, arms full of books from Percival`s library, pouring over dictionaries and grammar booklets. Gwaine couldn`t understand – he had hardly picked up a book since arriving. Computers had agreed with him; Percival couldn`t fathom how. 

“It`s the dating apps,” Elyan laughed. 

“No such apps on computers,” Gwaine said behind mouthful of apple. “As for dating sites…” 

Still, Elyan was quieter than the others remembered. Since he arrived three weeks ago, he`d go for long walks, he sat in the parks and read, and felt just a tiny bit off. 

In the end, Gwaine`s idea cheered him up the most.

“Merlin, car keys. Get dressed, we`re going out.”

“I`m not going to the tavern with you,” Merlin groaned. After centuries, he still couldn`t hold his liquor, nor did he care for it. 

“No, not tavern today. I have an idea.” 

The three others eyed each other sceptically. Over the three weeks since Elyan`s arrival, a good 90% of Gwaine`s ideas were utter nonsense, or utter chaos, more often than not a combination of both. 

Merlin tried finding a nice way to voice just that, but Gwaine distracted him by dangling said keys in front of his nose. 

“It`s a good one. I promise.” No response so far. 

“I promise to do the dishes until the next knight return if it`s a bad idea.”

The men all shuffled into the car, happily singing about the lack of chores for the next weeks. 

“He could arrive tomorrow,” Gwaine argued.

“Or in a year,” Elyan snorted.

“No dishes for a year,” Percival sung. 

Even Merlin was cheerful at the prospect, though he magiced most of his chores. “Although, you do realize you have to tell me where we`re going?” 

“I`ll give you directions.” Again, all three groaned. 

“You have no sense of direction,” Percival whined (or well, it would be a whine if he was any smaller). 

“I have a perfect sense of direction, thank you very much.” Gwaine looked slightly offended.

“In Camelot. This isn`t Camelot.” Elyan had gotten lost enough times with Gwaine lately, and spent hours trying to get them home. He hadn`t learn to trust Maps yet. 

“I know this one, trust me please?” 

Merlin eyed him wearily. “If we go wrong, you do the dishes for the next two knights.”

“Done deal,” Gwaine grinned. 

Merlin had little idea where they were going – Gwaine wasn`t exactly predictable. 

“Park here, we have to walk a block.” 

Elyan and Percival looked at each other from the backseat, but didn`t audibly disagree.

In the end, they pulled up at an animal rescue – centre. 

At first they were all confused, and Gwaine`s bright smile as he presented the block faltered a little, but he recovered quickly enough. 

“I mean, a bunch of misfits, but soft and furry ones – could you ask for a better day?” Elyan, quiet at first, slowly emerged from his daze. In the end, they spent hours pouring over the place, pleading, petting, begging Merlin to let him keep half the pets (in the end, it was his apartment, and it felt like he should have the final say, though the amount of times he heard “Merlin please, what about this one,” was excruciating). 

Percival spent most of the time with the turtles. He enjoyed their slow movements and the absolute chillness of them. Merlin entertained the dogs, playfully chasing puppies across a field, throwing sticks, and being covered in wet, sloppy kisses. Elyan and Gwaine stayed with the kittens, and soon enough they were covered in red scratches and fur, but all the happier for it. 

“I think we should keep one of them,” Merlin declared. 

Shouts and argues erupted at once. 

“Please, Merlin, pleaaaase,” Gwaine pleaded. He was holding up a kitten the size of his hand, and unknowingly matched its adoring gaze directed at Merlin. 

“I think Elyan should decide,” he grinned. All the pleas redirected immediately, mostly from Gwaine. 

Elyan grew thoughtful, but in the end decided on a hairy, underfed, pretty ugly kitten (“just like you,” Gwaine laughed heartily, and clapped his back). Despite it looks, Elyan had fallen in love with it instantly, and he was so much happier when leaving. 

Once settled in the car, kittens and all, the happy, relaxed group drove home. 

“I told you you`d like it,” Gwaine announced lazily. 

No one could bear to argue.

“Thank you. Today was great,” Elyan said from the front. The others agreed from around. 

“We have to name him,” Merlin said. 

“I name you Tom. Tom the kitten.” Elyan had been thinking about his father, until Gwaine declared “Because he`s a tomcat!” 

“He`s castrated, you idiot,” Percival laughed. 

“That doesn`t mean anything,” Gwaine argued. 

Merlin rolled his eyes fondly, as the argument unfolded. 

After that, Elyan was a lot more relaxed. Quiet, yes, but a happy kind of quiet. He entertained the kitten, and it went from being an underfed, scrawny, ugly thing, to a well-fed, healthy-looking ugly thing. 

“Trust Elyan to love anything,” Gwaine laughed, but the other man only laughed and swatted him away. 

The kitten did them all good – the apartment grew even more cheerful, and to everyone`s relief, the restlessness was subdued. Elyan managed to find work as a waiter, and thankfully most his customers were nice (Merlin hadn`t known what to expect at first, but after going to the restaurant, he realized the boss was pretty strict when it came to rude customers). 

The foursome went to the lake as often as they could; between work, and two of the knight`s boxing, evenings became more booked. Still, there was at least one of them every night, just in case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, and for being patient with me! 
> 
> As for the chapter, I think it`s one of my favourites, just imagine the knights at an animal shelter! (If I could draw, I`d draw Gwaine and the kitten in a heartbeat!) 
> 
> As for tomcat, you can google the original meaning of the word, if it doesn`t make sense to you!
> 
> That`s it for now - see you next chapter!


	6. Leon

Everything was quiet for a couple of weeks after the kitten. Elyan marked it all down in the Calendar of Great Events (“it needs a name”, he argued. The calendar so far included the dates of the return, the arrival of the Tom the Kitten, and the trip to IKEA amongst other things).   
In the end, Elyan was the only one at the lake when Leon returned. He looked even more dazed than Elyan had been, especially considering that Elyan was supposed to be dead. 

“You cannot be.” He nearly grasped for his sword, but Elyan seemed so alive. 

The younger man pulled him into a hug. “I`ve missed you,” he muttered into his shoulder. 

That satisfied the golden-haired knight, and he finally returned the embrace. “But you died? Morgana killed you?” 

“I know, I mean she did. I`d better get you home. I`ll try to explain along the way.” 

Despite his best efforts, all his explanations left Leon more confused. He was completely flustered by the bright lights, the cars running past, the asphalt-covered ground, the clothes, (“possibly also the lack of them,” Elyan mused, as a guy in very short shorts ran past them). Though Merlin had tried explaining that this was nowhere near the city, it still felt enormous compared to the happy bustling of Camelot. He felt a pang of sadness as he thought about it – he knew he could never return, but he missed it dearly even so. 

“Code Leon,” Elyan yelled, as he opened the door. He and Percival had joked what would be needed should he return, (“dim the lights, triple the tea, probably some ale as well,” Percival had laughed. “He`s gonna flip at the TV,” Elyan mused), though it didn`t seem to far from truth now that they were here. 

Leon`s confusion was painted across his forehead. “Don`t worry about it,” Elyan tried comforting him. “Come meet the others.”   
Of course Elyan had explained along the way, though he could hardly believe it. He was certain Gwaine had died – Percival`s expression had been enough to confirm it, and though he never said so explicitly, the older knight knew he blamed himself for his death. As for Percival, well he`d positively disappeared, and it had been years between each time he`d seen him. They were like brothers, of course, but Leon had missed having him around the castle. Merlin – well, he`d as good as disappeared too. Leon had never said it, hardly realized it himself really, but Merlin disappearing felt like losing a little brother. Even worse, he felt as if he`d failed him. 

With all of that at the back of his head, he felt nauseous going up the stairs. “Come on, you`re a knight of Camelot. You`ve faced far worse,” he chided himself.   
All his fears rolled off as soon as Gwaine spotted him. “Guys, it`s him!”, Gwaine shouted. Soon enough he was embraced by a short, brown-haired, very much alive Gwaine, nearly pushing him down the stairs in excitement.

“Leon, you`ve taken ages you slow oaf. And I won the bet,” he smiled gleefully. There was no time to ask which bet, or what he meant at all, before Percival all but crushed him. He heard a muffled “good to see you” from above his head, and he grinned and nearly cried at the same time. It had been so long since he heard that voice. 

At last he turned to Merlin, not knowing what to expect. He`d failed their king. He`d understand if he was angry; but it wasn`t anger that met him. Merlin, steadfast, kind, forgiving, loyal Merlin was all grins and hugs. 

Leon held him tight, lamenting for the little brother he`d lost, but now found again.   
A new arrival was routine now. For once, Gwaine was on tea-duty, while Elyan found a bright red hoodie for him. “They really are amazing.” Merlin just smiled and shook his head in fondness. 

Once tea was passed around, they all settled comfortably on the couch and nearby chairs (“courtesy of IKEA,” Gwaine explained, again leaving Leon more confused than before). 

Leon had a lot of questions. He was older, had seen more than the others, had lived longer, yet could hardly grasp all that had happened. He heard each tale from each man – albeit Gwaine and Elyan`s he knew most of beforehand. He heard about Percival and Merlin`s travels, and the short version of Merlin`s waiting.   
It was well past midnight before they`d covered even the most basics. 

“What happened in Camelot, after we left?” Merlin asked. 

“Gwen`s ruling was good. She`s wise, and had no love for war. There was peace. I trained many fine knights, though none were as fine as the ones of the Round Table. And I stayed as long as I could. The queen gave birth to a son, Loholt. He was…” Leon smiled wistfully. “He was so much like Arthur. Stubborn, pig-headed, loyal to a fault, but kind, completely devoted to his people. He was a good king.” The others smiled – it certainly sounded like the king they`d known. 

“What about you?” Gwaine asked. 

“Me? There`s not much to tell. You lot weren`t around to drag me into trouble,” he smiled, earning himself guffaws and snorts. 

“In the end, I married a sweet girl, Elaine. We were happy. The queen died about two decades after Arthur; it was a kind death, but the people mourned her. She was deeply loved.” He directed the last part towards Elyan, who could only muster a grateful nod. “Arthur`s son ascended to the throne, and his ruling was similar to that of Arthur`s. The people held much love for him. I was a knight until the day I died.”

“How did you die?” Once again, Gwaine asked what everyone was thinking. Leon seemed to realize the same, but he appreciated the bluntness. 

“We were out on patrol, with the king. Bandits. They were using magic; though the king had his court sorcerers, we were vastly outnumbered. I believe I took an arrow for the king.”

“Leon the Hero,” Elyan said, but there was only honesty and respect in his voice. Leon shook his head, embarrassed. “Anyone would have done the same.” The rest disagreed heavily, until the embarrassment of the older knight became too much. 

“What did you say about court sorcerers?” Merlin asked, once the noise had dwindled down. 

“Guinevere rescinded the ban on magic! You should have seen it. It was marvellous. Magic, the beauty of it. It can be used for good, truly, and under the Queen`s rules, it flourished.” He sounded as if he was ready to defend it to the bone, though he needn`t have worried.   
Percival and Gwaine knew already, but although Merlin had used magic openly, he wasn`t sure whether Elyan had realized. Normally, he`d assumed he would`ve noticed, but after spending years with an extremely oblivious king, he wasn`t so sure anymore. Anyhow, magic made chores a lot easier, though Gwaine found it utterly unfair that Merlin could do the dishes with the flick of his hand, while he had to physically do it. 

As Leon continued his rant on magic, Merlin`s smirk grew, until he burst out laughing. 

“… and honestly, magic isn`t half as bad as Uther would have it… what?” Leon eyed the laughing faces around him. Only Elyan looked as confused as himself.   
Merlin was laughing too hard to begin to explain, and chose instead to let loose some golden butterflies around them with the flick of his hand.

“I`m… I`m magic,” he exclaimed between laughs. He could hardly breathe, Gwaine was clutching his stomach, and Percival had actual tears streaming down his cheeks. “But I`m so very glad to hear you support the use of magic,” he said honestly, but still unable to silence his laughter.   
Leon`s expression went from bewilderment, to smiling, to laughing his head off alongside the others. Elyan was shocked to say the least, which had Gwaine falling off the sofa. “Have you never seen the dishes wash themselves?” he wailed from the floor. 

Elyan soon enough joined him on the floor, laughing so hard he was crying. It took them ages to calm down. 

“I won the bet,” Gwaine smirked when it died down. 

“What bet?” Leon asked. 

“Remember when the stable boy came around, swearing he`d seen Merlin brushing the horses with no hands?” Merlin blushed at that – he`d been reckless a few times. Gaius would`ve had his head for it. 

“And you bet that he was right and Merlin had magic,” Leon finished. 

“You owe me ten golden coins. Since I`m a kind and fair knight” (that prompted several snorts from around the table) “I`ll settle for two weeks of dishes instead.”   
Leon rolled his eyes fondly, and ruffled his hair. “Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! 
> 
> I am utterly in love with this chapter, so I hope you like it too! As for Arthur`s son - the myths vary when it comes to a lot of the happenings and people, but some of them include Arthur having a son, so that`s where I stole the name from wondering! 
> 
> This is definitely a two post - chapter, so next one will pick up from where this one ended!
> 
> See you next time!


	7. Leon pt 2

The other`s went to bed, one after one, until Merlin and Leon were the only ones left (though they moved to the kitchen table to let Elyan have the couch). The comfortable atmosphere lingered and settled about them. 

“How are you?” he asked the boy. Well, technically Merlin was far older than himself – but he still seemed so young. 

Merlin cocked his head. No one had asked him that in a long time, but then again, it wasn`t a question he`d grown to expect. “I…” He shrugged. He didn`t know where to begin. Leon was patient, quiet, and his calm nature gave him time to think. Honestly, Leon was probably the one he`d prefer to open up to. 

“It`s been long. I`ve waited for so long. And I`m so happy to see everyone again. Even so, I feel as if the wait has caught up with me. A bit tired. And tired of still waiting.” 

Leon nodded. Merlin`s nature was to take care of everyone else first, and himself secondly. No wonder he was tired.

“I thought I`d never see you again. You never said goodbye, you know.” Although Leon hadn`t acknowledged it at the time – after all, Merlin was free to go where he pleased, he`d thought he`d say goodbye at the very least. 

Merlin cracked a little at that. “I`m sorry. Truly. I couldn`t bear any more goodbyes.” 

Again, Leon nodded. It was too understandable to chide. He`d probably do the same.   
A melancholy peacefulness settled around them. It was familiar, comforting, and Merlin nearly broke at the serenity of it all. He`d missed being taken care of, he`d realized. 

“I`m sorry for Arthur.” 

Merlin startled at that. “What do you mean?” 

“I should`ve been there. My sworn duty was to protect him. And I failed.” 

“You`ve carried that guilt for how long?” 

Leon looked ashamed. 

“No, I only meant... Leon, it`s not yours to carry.” 

Only then did the knight dare look him in the eyes. 

“We all failed him, me most of all. Even with my magic, I…” He looked faraway, before he shook his head. “I spent enough time with my mother to let her knock some sense into my head. She`d always tell me that if it was someone`s fault, it was Mordred. Or Morgana. Or the Saxons. Even Uther himself, for his reckless, bottomless hate for magic. We are not to blame. You know, I nearly believed her at the end.” His lopsided grin faded at that. He missed her a lot. 

Leon hardly believed him. “You don`t blame me?” 

“Hardly any more than you would blame me.” Leon held no grudge against Merlin, and at that he understood. 

“Thank you.” 

“You`ve nothing to thank me for.”

“Merlin, from what I`ve understood, we have everything to thank you for.” 

At the magic reveal, a lot of pieces suddenly fit together. Of course, Leon had seen how the court sorcerers fought in battle, and they reminded him of an impish, reckless boy he`d once known. He`d wondered many times, but never concluded what he now knew – Merlin did indeed have magic. Because if that was his conclusion, the next one would be that the boy had saved the knights and the king tenfold times over. And it was always without thanks, dutifully taking care of them, without as much as a hint of letting on the magnitude of his actions. 

Merlin blushed, and bowed his head. “I…” In the beginning, he`d wanted someone to notice. Now, it felt unnatural. Of course he`d save them – they were his friends, annoying, loud, brazen, foolhardy bunch as they were. But as he met Leon`s gaze, filled to the brim with gratitude and a newfound respect, all he could muster was a sincere “truly, it`s been my pleasure,” accompanied by a smile. 

At that they heard a cock from outside somewhere. “Sunrise,” Leon said. 

“We`d better get some sleep,” Merlin yawned. “I have an extra mattress somewhere, the lot will probably be up early. Earlier than us at any rate.” 

They propped the mattress down besides Merlin`s bed, and fell into a sweet slumber as soon as their heads hit their pillows, both their hearts feeling much brighter than they had been mere hours ago. 

The next morning, only Gwaine and Percival joined them for breakfast – Elyan was at work.

“I`ve never slept for this long,” Leon yawned. It was only noon, though he was used to getting up at the crack of dawn. 

“You`ve missed out,” Gwaine replied. “But fear not, we`ve much to show you. This, for example, is a toaster,” he explained as he led the knight, still in pyjamas and a   
Hufflepuff t-shirt from last night, towards the counter. 

“Gwaine, I –” Merlin started. He thought Elyan was going to die of shock the first time the bread shot up, and would`ve tried hindering a repeat of the process, hadn`t 

Percival kicked him in the shin just then. He glared at him, receiving a reproachful look in return. Just then the bread shot up, extracting a yelp from Leon. “What in the love for Camelot is that?” he yelled. 

The startled look on his face, combined with his hair sticking out at every angle had Gwaine laughing until milk came out his nose. 

Leon grumbled something which was pretty close to the worst you could say in old Camelot, less than impressed, which only added to their laughter. 

“Never mind the fact that you spent two weeks avoiding it when you first arrived,” Merlin pointed out. At that Leon laughed heartily, though he could understand why the knight chose to avoid it. 

They settled down for breakfast (despite the scare, Leon was quite impressed by the toast), and soon enough there was a happy, relaxed mood surrounding the kitchen. The late October sun gleamed through the curtains, signalling a beautiful frosty morning. Merlin, squinting happily above his cereal laughed at something Percival had commented. 

Just then, Tom the Kitten arrived, having been woken by the debacle. “That`s the ugliest kitten I`ve ever seen,” Leon stated. 

“Don`t tell that to Elyan. He loves it to bits,” Percival replied. 

“It`s a lot better than when we first found it,” Merlin tried. 

“How on earth did it look when you first found it?” Leon asked bemused. 

The breakfast lasted for long, reminiscing of old memories, Merlin filling in his share of a lot of events, much teasing and picking at each other. Only then did Merlin realize how much he`d missed them - and how much he loved having them back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! 
> 
> I wouldn`t say it`s a filler - more weaving in missing pieces. So even though no one else returned, I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> I am currently sick, so updates may be a smidge delayed. Meanwhile, comments and kudos are seriously appreciated (and on that note - I cannot believe that over 600 of you have taken the time to click and read; thank you so much for reading and commenting and kudos; I cannot begin to explain how much I appreciate it, and how much I love interacting with you!)
> 
> As always - see you next chapter :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I have several more chapters planned out, and I seriously can`t wait to share! Leave a review if there`s anything you want to see, or if you saw something you liked! See you next chapter


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